Vintage Chart & Drinking Windows

A wine's vintage refers to the year the grapes were harvested, not when the wine was bottled or released. The vintage year is printed on most wine labels and is one of the most important indicators of a wine's quality and character. Weather conditions during the growing season vary each year, so wines from the same vineyard can taste dramatically different from one vintage to the next.

In recent history, the 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 vintages are considered exceptional for Bordeaux Left Bank. The Right Bank also excels in 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2020. These years offered ideal growing conditions with warm, dry summers and balanced ripening, producing wines with intense concentration, ripe tannins, and excellent ageing potential.

The ideal time to drink a wine depends on the region, vintage quality, and the specific producer. Our vintage chart shows drinking windows for typical top-producer wines in each region. Wines marked as "Peak" are in their optimal window right now, while "Approachable" wines can be enjoyed today but will continue to improve. "Too Young" wines benefit from further cellaring.

A drinking window is the estimated range of years during which a wine will be at its best for drinking. It starts when the wine has softened enough for its fruit, tannins, and acidity to be in balance, and ends when the wine begins to fade and lose its flavour. Drinking windows vary enormously: a simple Beaujolais might peak within two years, while a great Bordeaux can improve for thirty or more.

Not at all. Most wines produced worldwide are meant to be enjoyed within one to three years of release. Only a small percentage of wines, typically those with high tannin, acidity, or residual sugar, benefit from long ageing. Even among age-worthy wines, there is an optimal window: hold them too long and they will decline, losing fruit and freshness. The key is matching the wine's structure to an appropriate drinking timeline.